Device for preventing collisions at sea.



1); 5. TAYLOR. I DEVICE FOE PREVENTING GOLLISIONS AT SEA.

' APPLIGATIQN FILED mm: a, 1910.

Patented M81. 12, 1912.

I a a D, H. TAYLOR. DEVIGE FOR PREVENTING OOLLISIOHS AT SEA I APPLIOATIOE FILED :YUIE 3, 1910. 1,020,330.

Patented Mar. 12,1912.

DANIE L H. 'I .AYLOR, OF B QLISADES, 'COLGRADO.

DEVICE FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS AT SEA.

Application filed June 3, 1910.

Specification oi Letters Patent. Patented lll'ar, 12, 1912.

Serial No. 564,901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that; I, DANIEL' H. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Palisades, in the county of Mesa and State of Colorado, have invented new and useful Tmprovements in Devices for Preventing Collisions at Sea, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for preventing collisions ot ships at sea with other ships, icebergs and also'from grounding.

The object of the invention is the provi sion of a device of this character which when contacted by a ship, iceberg, ground or rocks will sound an alarm in sutlicient time to permit the engine of the ship to be reversed and saved from contact. with the object even when the vessel istraveling at its highest rate of speed.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the following specific description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and in which: I

Figure l. is a side cicvation of a vessel showing my improved collision protector attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a' top plan view.

Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal section on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Flg. lis a similar sec-' Fig. 5

tion on the line 4-4: of Fig. 1. a detail section of the ground ball.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 1 represents the ship to the bow of which is connected the flexible cords land 3 which have connected to their outer ends the motor fl .fl'l(r= -l and 5 in which are positioned suitahie electric motors 6 and 7 having connected to their ,driving shafts the propellers 3. these mentors are supported and held snlunergcd a slight distance from the surface by floats 9 which. are connected to the motor frames by flexible links 10. The motors G and T are arranged on opposite sides 'of thevessel. and the propellers have their blades so constructed that when the motors are driven the frames and their associated parts are kept away from the sides of the vessel as shown in Fi g. 2 and with the cords or connecting devices 2.11mi 3 heid taut. l A similar motor frame 11 having a mote: l2 and pro 'iellcr 13 is connected to the n JtUI. fran'ics tand 5 by means of flexihie conduits l t in which the circuitwires 15 of suitable alarm systems are connect.- ed. This motor 12 is also provided with a float 16 so as to hold it. suspended slightly below the surface of the water and has a flexible .conduit 14 extending entirely around the front of the frame. w

In the practical 'use of the device the-circnitwires 15 for the alarm'systems'and for the motors will pass. downwardly froni the rail 17 of the vessel through a-prot e'cting tube 18 which is provided with a pulley 19 at. its lowerend to permit a frictionless passsage of the wire cable 15 to the nio toi's and conduits 14. The circuits'mayfbe divided into separate sections, one adapted for'the conduit on the left ,hand' side-,th other adapted for theconduit, on the right hand side and thethird adapted-for the conduit'at the head frame 11 and-the other forthe motorsand these wires-may be conpulley 19. These separate sections of the alarm circuit may have separate bells er may all-control a single alarm. but I prefer the former as 'it will then indicate upon which side the contact is made or whether it is made at the head.

. Carried by the conduits 14 at intervals throughout their lengths are suitable contact springs 20 which have secured thereto the contactbuttons 21 projecting through the sides of the conduit. and adapted to be engaged by a ship, iceberg or the like and to operate the springs 20 to bringthem into engagement with the contact points 22. .The spring 20 is connected by way of a lead 23 to one of the circuit wires 14 and the contact 22 is connected by way of a lead .25 to the opposite circuit wire 26. This pahallel arrangement is common and needs no further description, it being understood that all of the contact buttons 21 are connected in the same manner and when the separate circuits are used for different; alarms the cir- -neeted together in a single cable which passes through the tube' 18 and over thecnit on one side is identical with the circuit 4 3 may be connected in any suitable manner to the ship so that they may be lengthened or shortened as is found desirable and the cable 15 may be mounted upon a Windlass so that it can be let out or taken in to increase or decrease the distance between the alarm contacts and the ship.

Depending from the frames 4:, 5 and 11 and connected thereto by the circuit wires 27 which also pass through the conduits 14: and are connected in the cable 15, are contact balls 28 which have the contact buttons 29 projected from their circuits and adapted to operate the circuit closers in the manner described for the circuit closers carried by the conduits 14. The circuits for these devices are preferably in series and the circuit 011 the ball which depends from the frame 11 is separated and distinct from it's mates, so that it may be immediately ascertained where such contact is made. These balls are arranged so that the a short distance below t e as shown in Fig. 1.

keel of the vessel hang in the water V Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is l A protector for ships comprising a flexible conduit, alarm circuit-wires carried therein. circuit closers connected to said wires and carried by the conduit, frames connected to the conduit, a propelling device carried by one of the frames and adapted to drive the conduit in a direction of the progress of the ship, propelling devices carried by the other frames and adapted to drive the ends of the conduit in a direction laterally of the progress ofsaid ship, circuit closing devices depending from the frames, and flexible members adjust-ably connecting the lateral propelling devices with the ship.

In testimony whereof I affix my signa' ture in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL H. TAYLOR.

Vvitnesses ED. REED, ADA MOTIRAM. 

